Preparations for the Miss Mississippi Competition are a year-long endeavor, but now that the event is less than two weeks away, organizers and volunteers are working non-stop to make sure all is ready for the 31 young women competing for the title.

One of those volunteers is Johnny Lee Reynolds Sr.

Reynolds has been volunteering with the Miss Mississippi organization for 30 years and this year, he has been named Miss Mississippi Volunteer of the year.

Reynolds said he started out “Chasing behind the photographer to make sure they got the good shots of the young ladies and the belles and beaus,” to now sitting on the Miss Mississippi Board.

“I like sitting on the board and being able to give back,” Reynolds said.

Volunteerism is something Reynolds said his mother instilled in him and his four siblings at an early age.

“She would get us up in the morning time,” he said, and instruct each one as to how they could help the neighbors.

Reynolds admitted it may not have always been something a child was interested in doing, but nonetheless, he followed through with the task and in doing so, has continued to help out and give back.

Volunteering his time for the Miss Mississippi Competition, Reynolds said, is not only fun, but there is also a sense of accomplishment felt when the production kicks off.

“I like the excitement that goes along with all of it (the Miss Mississippi Competition). Seeing the routine coming together, seeing behind the scenes, and then seeing all of it come together and then sitting back and saying, ‘I had a part of that. I helped support that.’”

As a board member, Reynolds said, the group meets once a month throughout the year and then the volunteerism ramps up prior to both the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Competition and the Miss Mississippi Competition.

A few of Reynolds’ responsibilities for the Miss Mississippi Competition include helping Vicksburg Main Street line up the cars for the parade, working with the businesses that provide lodging for the candidates during the competition and helping set up the spaces at the Vicksburg Convention Center (VCC) where the candidates prepare and dress for the competition.

Miss Mississippi 2022 Events:

• The Miss Mississippi Competition will be held at the Vicksburg Convention Center, 1600 Dr. Briggs Hopson Blvd. Preliminary competitions will begin at 7 p.m. June 22, 23 and 24 and the final round of competition and crowning will begin at 8 p.m. on June 25. Tickets are $125 for all four nights of the competition or $30 for Wednesday and Thursday, $40 for Friday and $50 for Saturday and are available at the Miss Mississippi Corporation Office, which is located on the 4th floor of 820 South St.
• Beginning at 2 p.m., crownings will be held for the Magnolia Belles and Beaus Saturday, June 18 at the VCC.
• Beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, the Miss Mississippi Parade will roll down Washington Street. Following the parade, an autograph party will be held in the lobby of the Mulberry, 1310 Mulberry St., until 9 p.m.
• From 10 to 11 a.m. on June 22, an autograph party with contestants in group B will be held at George Carr Buick GMC, 2950 S. Frontage Road.
• From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., an autograph party with contestants from groups A and C will be held in downtown Vicksburg.
• On June 24, a Kendra Scott Pop-Up Shop will be offered at the Vicksburg Convention Center and will feature a variety of jewelry that includes the collection created by Miss Mississippi Holly Brand and Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Cameron Davis. A portion of all sales goes to the Mississippi Scholarship Fund.
• A silent auction, which is sponsored by the Miss Mississippi Local Directors Association, will be held during the Miss Mississippi preliminary competitions. Items will be on display at the VCC. The auction closes after the Friday night preliminary competition.
• The Miss Mississippi Competition will offer online voting until 11:59 p.m. June 24. The candidate that receives the most votes will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Votes can be cast through the QR code on the Miss Mississippi Scholarship Facebook page or at @Miss_Mississippi_Corp into the Venmo app.
• All three preliminary competitions and the final competition will be live-streamed. Interested viewers can go to ‘missmisslive.com’ for details and to pay for the live stream.
• The final night of the Miss Mississippi Competition will be carried on the following TV stations: WLBT – Jackson; WLOX – Biloxi; WDAM – Hattiesburg; WMC – Bounce in Memphis, Tenn.; WTVA – Tupelo and WMDN – Meridian.